Chris,

Welcome. I have the common problem--a lot of people told me that it is common to have both neck and back issues--of having cervical and lumbar problems. I have two lumbar ADRs but they were put in at separate times. How do I explain this? It would not be my choice to do it this way, but first I had L4/5 and then I had L5/S1. Huge insurance fights for each ADR.
And after that, I developed cervical symptoms. This was in October, 2012.
I was ready to go head-to-head with insurance companies again to get ADR, but unfortunately, despite having stellar facets, my two discs were too degenerated to put ADRs into them.
I started out having minimal disc loss to having severe disc loss in a relative short time. I had an anterior cervical disectomy and fusion at C5/6 and C6/7 on May 15th, 2013 after a few hiccups.
I too, had long-time neck problems and always wondered why my lumbar discs became majorly painful and problematic before my neck. When my doc got in there during the cervical surgery, he found a severely degenerated disc and C5/6, was fairly bad too. Anyway, so far, my neck is doing pretty good.


Hey, please congratulate your friend for me and the countless others who have engaged insurance companies in a fight to get an ADR operation approved. I fought Blue Cross with all I had, but, the thread I had about my struggles with insurance, is no longer on here. Long story. But I really like it, that your friend succeeded. I had a friend, who I met on this site, who had double lumbar ADR in 2007 or 2008, in the U.S. Around there. Her insurance company was Aetna.
My lumbar problems became severe when I was 45 years old.
Anyway, give your friend a bunch of high fives :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::c lap::clap: and good luck in your push to get the best surgery you can get for yourself.

Kimmers:beer:

I received this BS from my doctor just now: :flaming::flaming::flaming::flaming::flaming::flam ing::flaming:

I called the carrier to verify status, was informed that the decision was upheld yesterday. The carrier is going to mail a letter to you and provide us with a copy.

Per Aetna , it is not medically necessary.